Welcome to THE WELL-FED E-PUB!
Serving upfood for thought and tasty tips for the prospering FLCW*. Come on in, sitanywhere and bring your appetite!
*FLCW,peppered throughout the ezine, stands for "Freelance CommercialWriter" – anyone who freelances for businesses (vs. writing magazinearticles, short stories, poetry, etc.), typically earns $50-125+ an hour, andis the sole focus of this e-newsletter.
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VOLUME 9,ISSUE 10 – OCTOBER 2010
Publishingthe first Tuesday of every month since May 2002
Read itOnline at: http://www.wellfedwriter.com/ezine/oct2010.html
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OCTOBER/NOVEMBERWELL-FED GROUP COACHING FILLING FAST!
Starts10/26/10; Position yourself for a strong 2011 business launch! All details (andstrong testimonials) at
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"THEWELL-FED WRITER" (2010 EDITION) HAS WON FOUR AWARDS!
Check outthe Awards Gallery at http://www.wellfedwriter.com/wellfedawards.shtml
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THISMONTH'S MENU:
I.APPETIZER: A TASTY SAMPLER OF SAVORY BITES
PromisingTrends, Case-Study Boot Camp, Tax Tips & Urgent Call for Features!
II."FIELD" GREENS: DonÕt Fall for SEO Expert Claims of High-RankProwess!
WebOptimization Pro Reminds: ÒOne High-Ranked Search Term Means LittleÓ
III. MAINÒMEATÓ COURSE: SUCCESS ACROSS THE POND! (Part 2 of 2)
UK FLCWBuilds Thriving Business, Including ÒTone-of-VoiceÓ Writing Specialty
IV.DESSERT: Sweet Success Stories and Tips
MO FLCW Has$10K Month, Is Living (and Loving) the Life!
TIP:No-Charge 10-Day Trial Download of List-Building Software
V. COFFEE,MINTS AND TOOTHPICKS
- Well-FedGroup Coaching Series #6 (Starting 10/26) Filling Fast!
- THEWELL-FED E-PUB NEEDS ALL COURSES!
- TheWELL-FED WRITER BLOG is Rockin'! http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog
- MISSED MYTELECLASS? Full 38-PAGE e-Transcript – Just $12!
- AWAICopywriting (& Other) Courses: Register Here, Get 2 Bonuses (no charge!)
- How CanMy Mentoring Service Serve You?
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I.APPETIZER: A TASTY SAMPLER OF SAVORY BITES
PromisingTrends, Case-Study Boot Camp, Tax Tips & Urgent Call for Features!
ÒWELL-FEDÓSTORIES: Okay, so the evidence is admittedly anecdotal, but IÕm hearing frommore and more FLCWÕs of late about business picking up. In this issueÕsDessert, youÕll hear about one writer who recently had a really, really goodmonth. Just last week, I heard from a newly established FLCW whoÕd hitfinancial self-sufficiency in seven months. And a few others let me know theirdance cards are filling up.
So, arethings looking up for folks like us? Depends on whom you talk to. ItÕs onlyhuman, I suppose, to take our own experiences – good or bad – andextrapolate the overall trend from that, and decide How Things Really Are. Ifyour experience is on the down side, remember, thatÕs YOUR experience. The goodnews IÕm hearing (and personally experiencing) tells a different story. Giventhat thereÕs no obvious ÒrightÓ answer, we get to choose whatÕs Òtrue.Ó AnditÕs no mystery which one IÕm choosing!
INTENSIVECASE-STUDY TRAINING: Case studies are fun, lucrative and in demand by manycompanies. If youÕre serious about learning, 1) HOW to write effective ones;and 2) WHERE the business is, check out Casey HibbardÕs (THE authority on thesubject) six-month ÒCase Study CopywriterÕs Mentoring CourseÓ starting up soon.YouÕll make back the entire cost of the program on one mid-priced case study.Check out all the details at:
THE ÒWRITEÓTAX DEDUCTIONS: Came across this great blog post about tax deductions thatfreelancers should be taking. If youÕre not, youÕre giving Uncle Sam more thanhe deserves, and why on earth would you want to do that? Check it out at:
REALLY NEEDYOUR FEATURES! (500-600 words): I know you think IÕm ÒThe Boy Who Cried WolfÓ– ALWAYS saying I need your Features for the EPUB. True, but I usuallyhave a few in the hopper. Right now, IÕM OUT. So, if youÕve got a great successstory about a certain strategy, campaign, industry, project type or unusualcircumstance, IÕd love to hear it. Send a quick email with your ideas to
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II."FIELD" GREENS: DonÕt Fall for SEO Expert Claims of High-RankProwess!
WebOptimization Pro Reminds: ÒOne High-Ranked Search Term Means Little.Ó
A fewmonths back, I ran a two-part article (the March/April 2010 issues archived at
The onebelow (in addition to being good to know when building your own site) is agreat FYI when dealing with clients whoÕve been speaking with an ÒSEO Expert.ÓIt might just make you look pretty savvy, and that can build clientconfidence.
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AnotherSEO War Story: In Search of High Rankings
I got a call this week from yet another SEO company eager tooptimize my website to get high search-engine rankings. As an SEO expertmyself, I'm always interested in what they have to say. Typically, the salesrep never has my website in front of him. I don't get how a sales person canphone prospects regarding their websites and not even bother to pull it up on ascreen before calling.
I listened patiently as he tried to explain search engineoptimization (SEO). He was actually very personableÉbut didn't know what he wastalking about. He gave me particular keywords to type into my Google search boxand gosh-oh-golly, his company was at the top of the search engine results!
This was supposedly a big deal because there were 129,000,000results for that search, and that supposedly showed how many people were tryingto rank for that term. If someone calls you and tells you that, please, don'tfall for it. All that figure shows are which pages Google has determined arerelevant for the search.
I quickly looked up the term he had me type in the search boxand sure enough, hardly anyone ever types in that term. Of course, he didn'tget it when I tried to explain: It doesn't matter how many results Google showsfor a given term; WHAT MATTERS IS HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE USING THAT TERM IN ACTUALSEARCHES.
Easy Web Tip #64: When someone calls to sell you SEO services toget your website high rankings, don't be impressed just because the rep has youtype in a term that results in a single high search-engine ranking.
Copyright2010 – Katherine Andes
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III. MAINÒMEATÓ COURSE: SUCCESS ACROSS THE POND! (Part 2 of 2)
UK FLCWBuilds Thriving Business, Including ÒTone-of-VoiceÓ Writing Specialty
Last month,I ran a success story from UK FLCW Pete Cornes (archived at
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TONE OFVOICE: KEEPING IT CONSISTENT
InconsistencyÕsa big problem for businesses – and the bigger they get, the bigger theproblem. ThereÕs nowhere it shows up more strongly than in writing.
Think aboutthe last time you bought something from your bank. Opened an account, took outa mortgage, whatever. They gave you clear, well-written leaflets and factsheets to start. These customer acquisition documents need to work hard tosucceed, so they will have used a professional commercial writer.
So if yourinitial impression of the brand was good enough for you to buy, has it changedsince? How clear are your statements? Terms and conditions documents? Thewebsite? Responses to complaint letters? Signs in the rest rooms telling you towash your hands?
For mostcompanies, there are big inconsistencies. And that matters – both to thebrand and to the bottom line. People buy from brands for reliability andconsistency; lose that and customersÕ loyalty evaporates.
MIND YOURTONE For a few years now, cannybranding agencies have been offering Ôtone of voice,Õ or Ôverbal identityÕ tosolve this. These are firm guidelines to help writers keep things consistentwith the brandÕs personality. So while Microsoft might choose to soundauthoritative and informed, Google might emphasize their human and engagingside. These guidelines help anyone whoÕs writing for the company –whether theyÕre employees, agencies or FLCWÕs – to get things spot on.
WHAT DOESIT LOOK LIKE? Guidelines should give writers a step-by-step process tohelp them work out their purpose, audience, content and tone. I want people toturn to these guidelines every day. If they donÕt get dog-eared from use, IÕvemissed the mark.
So IÕllstart with a section about the companyÕs brand, explaining how it ÔfeelsÕ tocustomers and staff, and why the language is important. Then IÕll get to themeat of it: how to get the tone right. For example, I might suggest usingshorter sentences to be energetic, or giving hard-and-fast facts to show yourauthority. ItÕs different for every brand. Then IÕll finish with a section onhouse style – the hard and fast rules on, say, how to sign off yourletter, or when to write Ô7Õ and when to write ÔsevenÕ.
And guesswhat? People love it! IÕll often follow up the guidelines with in-houseworkshops to help staff get to grips with their tone of voice, and itÕs amazingto see the difference. ItÕs like you suddenly gave them permission to startenjoying their writing, to start having fun with words. People whoÕve beentrotting out the same old letters for years suddenly open their eyes to greatwriting.
WHO NEEDSIT? Larger companies suffer most from inconsistent writing. IÕve workedon tone-of-voice guides for cellphone carriers, insurance companies, utilitycompanies, supermarkets, software developers and more. If theyÕre big enough toneed brand guidelines, theyÕll need a tone of voice.
WHAT MAKESA GREAT TONE OF VOICE WRITER? You need three main skills:
1. Youneed to understand language enough to make – and explain –recommendations for different brands. So if a company is fresh and upbeat, youneed to know how writers can strike the right tone: like by using an activevoice, adding a few contractions and shortening the sentences.
2. Youneed to ÔgetÕ what makes a brand. You need to understand how a businessÕvision, values and ambitions inform everything that company does. And then youneed to be able to explain it in a compelling way – a way that everyonein the organization can understand and believe in.
3. Youneed to understand corporate politics. You need to know whoÕs on board, whoisnÕt and whom you need to persuade. Get the right people and departments tobuy in and youÕll see really great writing spreading like wildfire throughoutthe business.
HOW CAN YOUGET INTO IT? The opportunityÕs there – and businesses are more thanwilling to pay for it. Companies tend to buy this sort of guidance throughbranding agencies who sell in your services alongside theirs.
The otherway in, though, is by landing a writing job in one of the departments. Writesomething good enough to knock their socks off and theyÕll wonder how theirinternal writers can compete. ÔWell,Õ you reply, Ôwith a bit of guidance andthe right training, you can definitely move them in the right direction!Õ
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IV.DESSERT: Sweet Success Stories and Tips
MO FLCWMakes $10K in a Month, Is Living (and Loving) the Life!
TIP:No-Charge 10-Day Trial Download of List-Building Software
MO FLCW Has$10K Month, IS Living (and Loving) the Life!
Got thiseyebrow-raising note from St. Louis FLCW Stephen Lennartz (
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Peter: Justa quick note to say thank you. August was a record month for me: $10,000+. Mysuccess is due in large part to your book, which is a quenching tonic ofinformation and inspiration. I reread it often, like this morning when I wasgetting my oil changed as traffic rolled by with commuters traveling to theircube worlds. Lucky us. I am loving the FLCW lifestyle! Perhaps yourreaders would be interested in a few strategies IÕm using:
WORKINGÒTHE FRINGEÓ: There are scads of ÔunderservedÕ businesses—small &large—in small towns surrounding St. Louis. First I rewrote the copy fora winery website (their current webmaster had not responded in several weeks.)They were so pleased; I landed their restaurant website in St. Louis. Aneighboring spa brought me in for their site, a brochure & e-newsletter.Now the City of Augusta—wine capital of Missouri— has hired me forseveral projects. There is gold in them hills!
EXPANDINGMY OFFERING: The winery wanted to add a page on Facebook. While I usually tapmy 16- and 20-year old sons for anything having to do with social media, it wastime for me to take the plunge. So I did the research. Built the page. Linkedit from their website and co-branded on their St. Louis restaurant website.Funny thing. Their fans grew from 0 to 260+ in just a few weeks. Prettypowerful stuff. Very happy client.
TALKING THETALK: Presented to a neighboring chamber of commerce on the power of searchengine optimization. I partnered with an SEO guru for the hour-longpresentation. We focused on how copy and layout impact rankings. Landed contentfor two websites and a video for the chamber. Not a bad day. My best to fellowFLCWÕs!
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If youÕrein process of assembling calling/contact lists to build (or grow) yourcopywriting business, check out a program called LIST GRABBER. Description(from the site): ÒListGrabber is popularly known as a yellow-pages crawler andyellow-pages grabber which allows business professionals to buildtelemarketing/prospect lists from any Internet source. ItÕs ideal for new andgrowing businesses.Ó
ItÕs priceyas a purchase (a good sign of its quality), but they offer a f.r.e.e. 10-daytrial download (though if it delivers as billed, itÕd be worth purchasing.After all, how much time would it take you to build your lists manually, andwhat is your time worth?) Check it out at:
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V. COFFEE,MINTS AND TOOTHPICKS
- Well-FedGroup Coaching Series #6 (Starting 10/26) Filling Fast!
- THEWELL-FED E-PUB NEEDS ALL COURSES!
- TheWELL-FED WRITER BLOG is Rockin'! http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog
- MISSED MYTELECLASS? Full 38-PAGE e-Transcript – Just $12!
- AWAICopywriting (& Other) Courses: Register Here, Get 2 Bonuses (no charge!)
- How CanMy Mentoring Service Serve You?
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WELL-FEDGROUP COACHING SERIES #6 (STARTING 10/26) FILLING FAST!
YouÕve beenthinking about starting a commercial freelancing business. But youÕve got a lotof questions, concerns, doubts, fears, Òwhat-ifÕs,Ó and Òwhat-aboutÕs.Ó WeÕveall been there – including just about every attendee of my first fiveprograms (and I invite you to check out what THEYÕVE said about their groupcoaching experience). If youÕre ready to get clear – psychologically andlogistically – so you can hit the ground running in the New Year, checkout the program filling up now. For all the details and testimonials, visit
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I'M SERIOUSLYLOW ON ALL WELL-FED E-PUB COURSES!
Got a greatstrategy, approach or specific expertise you're willing to share? Turn it intoa Feature (MAIN COURSE) for the EPUB (500-600 words; query first). ALSO, sendyour "GREENS" (200-300 words), TIPS (150-200) and SUCCESS STORIES(100-300) to peter@wellfedwriter.com.Archived issues at http://www.wellfedwriter.com/ezine.shtml.
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TheWELL-FED WRITER BLOG is Rockin'! http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog
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MISSED MYTELECLASS? "Thriving as a Freelance Commercial Writer"
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AWAICOPYWRITING (& OTHER) COURSES: Register Here, Get Your Choice of Bonus CDProgram! Six-Figure Copywriting, Graphic Design, Internet Writing, Fundraising,Health Market and more! http://www.wellfedwriter.com/awai.shtml.
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HOW CAN MYMENTORING SERVICE SERVE YOU?
For detailsand testimonials, visit http://www.wellfedwriter.com/mentoring.shtml.
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